Worthy of Her Ideals
by Six String Bard
Summary: Faced with his best friend and brother making the ultimate sacrifice, Chrom struggles with the idea that once more he'll be faced with the death of someone incredibly important to him. In the end, the one thing that drives them both forward are the ideals they strive to uphold.


Hours later, Chrom still couldn't believe it. Even though he had heard it from the Divine Dragon herself, there had to be another way. There had to be some way they could stop Grima without Robin having to sacrifice himself.

It seemed cruel, after everything they'd been through over the last two days. The Shepherds had fought their way through the powerful Risen that Grima had sent to bar them access to the Shrine of Naga atop Mount Prism. The Divine Dragon had appeared to his summons, and with the power of the fully realized Fire Emblem, had bathed him in the fires of the Awakening Ritual. Even now, he could feel the power radiating from his sword, the Falchion, as it rested on the table in front of him.

But shortly after he had survived the Awakening and Falchion's true power had been restored, Naga had warned him that her power would not be capable of complete victory. Striking the finishing blow with Falchion would seal Grima away, much as he had been a thousand years ago.

* * *

><p><em>Disheartened by this knowledge, Chrom had asked her if there was anything capable of slaying the Fell Dragon. Naga told them that the only power capable of destroying Grima was his own, though all of them knew that would never come to pass. It seemed she had been about to depart, but then sniffed gingerly at the air. <em>

_Robin had stepped forth alongside Chrom, deliberately avoiding looking at the latter's face. "What if we had a way of wielding Grima's power?"_

_Naga had titled her head slightly. "What are you proposing, Fellblood?"_

_Robin grimaced. "I guess it's that obvious, huh?"_

_The Divine Dragon, in all her radiant glory, smiled softly. "The power you play host to is not so different from my own."_

_He shook his head. "If that's true, then I may have a way to end this. The Hierophant... the other me... he claimed that Grima and I were one and the same. Having seen him become the vessel for the Grima of the present... It's kinda hard to doubt that. But that also means that I have the power to kill Grima, as well."_

_At this, Chrom had clapped Robin on the back. "That's brilliant, Robin! If you strike the final blow, then Grima will be defeated, once and for all."_

"_Do not be so hasty, Awakener," Naga said, shaking her head. "It is true that if Robin strikes Grima down, the Fell Dragon's power will turn on itself. But Grima's life and Robin's are inexorably connected. If Grima were to die, Robin would certainly also perish."_

_Frederick, having kept quiet watch over the proceedings, had sworn softly. "...That means Robin would be killing himself."_

_Naga nodded, her eyes never leaving Robin. Chrom was unsettled by the Divine Dragon's answers. She offered only the truth, and it shook him to the core that they were talking so easily now of Robin's death._

"_Somehow I knew that would be the case," Robin said, smiling. "I've had enough time to come to terms with it. When we fight Grima, I'll be ready."_

"_Surely you can't be serious," Chrom said, turning to his best friend. "We're going to find another way to end this. I won't let you go through with it."_

_Robin shook his head. "Chrom, you're not thinking straight. If I kill Grima now, your descendants will never have to worry about the Fell Dragon breaking the seal, nor will the world of their time live in the shadow of fear. One life, for the world's future. It's an easy decision to make."_

"_You're not just 'one life,' Robin," Chrom said, his hands curling into fists. "You're one of the Shepherds... one of us! You're my best friend and you always will be. That's what matters."_

"_If my life is the price of peace for the world, Chrom, it is a price I will pay willingly. Think of the peace your sister dreamed of and strived for. Is this so different from what she wanted?"_

"_Emm would have never asked you to die for her," Chrom said, struggling to keep from shaking. "Promise me that you won't do this, Robin."_

* * *

><p>In the end, Robin had not budged on his choice. Chrom had never been more frustrated with his friend. Their argument had threatened to escalate, but Naga interrupted, biding them to make haste in traveling towards the island volcano known as the Origin Peak. Currently, the Shepherds had set up camp on the western shore of Regna Ferox. In the morning, a few ships courtesy of Khan Basilio would carry them the short distance to the isle of Origin Peak, where their final confrontation with Grima waited.<p>

The rustling of the tent flaps caught his attention, and he saw that Robin had entered the tent. Chrom frowned. "Come to try and convince me?"

Robin sighed. "I would like it if you understood why I have to do this, but no, that's not why I'm here."

"Then why _are_ you here, Robin?" Chrom asked, sounding harsher than he'd intended.

"I've spent most of the evening saying my farewells, even if they don't know it," Robin said, frowning. "The Shepherds are my family, Chrom... and I wanted to spend as much time with them as I could."

Chrom bit back a bitter retort, unwilling to risk alienating Robin any further. They were brothers in all but blood, and Chrom would have done anything for Robin. "...we swore to be two halves of a greater whole, Robin. What would you have me do when you're gone?"

"Nurture the peace that we'll have won with Grima's defeat," Robin said, smiling. "That way, you'll keep busy and honor your sister's memory."

Chrom slammed his hands down on the table, rattling Falchion in its sheath. "It's not that easy!"

"I know," Robin said, crossing his arms. "But I don't have the luxury of second-guessing myself. You said it yourself a week ago. I'm always looking at the big picture. You even told Aversa that."

With a start, Chrom realized that Robin was correct. And he had even told her that one life wasn't worth weighing against millions. "...She said it was easy to dismiss the death of a single person when you held no love for them. And now that our positions are reversed, I can almost understand why she followed Validar."

"Even someone like Aversa values the bonds she's made, however twisted they may be. And of the bonds I've made with everyone..." Robin said. He reached into the folds of his cloak, and then held out his hand. In his palm lay a simple package wrapped in rough brown paper. "I want you to have this, Chrom. A poor gift for a friend as great as you, but I hope it will bring you some peace in the coming months."

"Robin..." Chrom said, looking at the small package curiously. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"You have been my greatest friend, Chrom, and I know what happens tomorrow will weigh heavily on you," Robin said, smiling sadly. Though he did not say it, they both knew what he was talking about.

They stood in silence for some time, and then Robin clapped Chrom on the shoulder briefly before leaving. As Robin lifted the tent flap, he turned to his friend. "Oh, and Chrom?"

"Yes?"

"You should be with your family," Robin said. "They need you in times like this, more than ever."

And then he was gone, his footsteps fading into the night.

* * *

><p>"<em>I'm sorry I wasn't a better friend, Chrom," Robin said, his sword falling from his numbing fingers. "It seems like this is the end of the road for me."<em>

_Tears in his eyes, Chrom stood on the hillside alongside Robin. Naga had used her powers one last time to whisk the Shepherds away from the dying Grima's back, and they now were on western border of Ylisse. The sun was setting, having finally broken through the dark clouds that had followed Grima's flight._

"_You have the easy part, you know," Chrom replied, embracing his dying friend. "What am I supposed to do now that both you and Emmeryn are dead?"_

_Robin chuckled, wincing in pain. "Rejoice in our victory, and celebrate with your family. Tell the world of everything we sacrificed for peace. It won't be easy or quick, but in the end, they'll come around to her way of things. I- gah!"_

_Chrom stepped back, watching with a combination of sorrow and horror as his best friend began to fade away, clutching at his chest. "Robin!" _

"_Chrom... thank you for everything. Tell the others... my last thoughts... were of them."_

_Robin stretched out a hand, reaching for Chrom, but as the latter's hand moved forward, they met with no resistance. There was a sigh as Robin passed from the world, and then there was nothing. _

_Chrom sank to his knees and wept._

* * *

><p>He opened his eyes. Again, that damnable dream haunted him. It hadn't been enough that his best friend had died. No, even as guilt dogged his waking moments, the memories of that day plagued his sleep.<p>

Chrom got up, taking care not to wake his wife, and walked out into his study. Though it had been months since they had defeated Grima and returned to Ylisstol, he hadn't been able to come to terms with Robin's death. The royal stonemason was working on a monument to his fallen brother, but the work had stalled because Chrom had not found a fitting engraving yet.

On his desk sat the brown package that Robin had given him shortly before he had died. In his grief, Chrom had not given the gift much thought, and in the months since their return he had been tremendously busy with the day to day affairs of the halidom. Affairs that had been neglected since their return from Valm, he thought sourly.

Curiosity began to burn through his waking stupor, and he tore the paper away carefully, revealing a rolled up piece of parchment and a simple bronze key. He set the key down on the desk and proceeded to unfurl the parchment.

_Chrom,_

_If you are reading this, then I am most likely dead, or will be shortly. For that, I am sorry. It pains me more than you know to have to do this, after all that we've been through. But here, at the end of our path together, I can say that I finally understand why Emmeryn sacrificed herself. Faced with a similar choice, I know that she and I chose to die to protect those we care about. Surely you will understand that she died to protect you and the Fire Emblem from Gangrel, and of the two, she thought you the more precious. _

_Likewise, I give my life to have the chance to protect you from Grima, to protect your wife and Lucina, both future and present, and to protect the rest of the Shepherds. You gave me a home, called me brother, and invited me into your family, all with no expectation that I ever do anything to repay you. However poor it may be, I hope that saving all of you may be a small favor in return. With this, maybe I'm finally worthy of her ideals. _

_The key enclosed with this letter goes to the desk in my quarters, where you'll find another gift. I hope that this one will bring you a little more joy. _

_May peace reign, and your years be long and plentiful,_

_Robin_

Chrom smiled faintly, having read the letter, very nearly hearing Robin's voice narrating it to him. He took the key and made his way towards Robin's rooms.

Robin's quarters were near his own, the closest anyone could be to the royal apartments without actually being royalty. He had awarded them to his friend for his service during the first war with Plegia. Robin had tried to decline, but Chrom wouldn't take no for an answer.

The majority of Robin's study was dominated by bookshelves, each and every one lined with the many books Robin had acquired during his short time in Ylisse. A few of them were fictional stories, and he recognized one of Sumia's books, Wyvern Wars. Amused, Chrom reached out to grab the book and leaf through it, before thinking better of it.

He turned to Robin's desk, which had been swept clear to make room for the map he'd been putting together. It had a detailed account of all their skirmishes and battles, and a certain area south of the Capital had been circled. Chrom rolled the map up gently and placed it to one side. There would be time later, perhaps, to reminisce.

Pulling the key from his pocket, Chrom matched it to an extremely ornate lock at the top of the desk. Chuckling to himself, Chrom realized that the key was just another facet of Robin's often warranted concerns about his personal property. The Shepherds did employ a professional thief, after all, so it made sense to him that Robin would have taken such precautions.

Inside the desk drawer, he found a stack of neatly folded papers and a small box. He unfolded one, and was surprised to see the name at the top. It was his sister's name. It was Emmeryn's name. The handwriting was Robin's, and as Chrom skimmed through the letter, he realized that it was a love letter.

All of the others letters were addressed to his sister. He read one after another, wondering if they had ever been delivered or if Robin had simply written them and hidden them away. Robin had always been very conscious of where he stood as an amnesiac with no rank or heritage, and such thoughts may have very well prevented him from revealing the depths of his feelings to Emmeryn.

It pained him to know that Robin had been in love with his sister. Not because he disapproved, but because it was only until now that he understood just how horrible her death must have been for him. Though he had always soldiered on, and managed to lead the Shepherds to victory time and again, Robin must have carried the burden of guilt far more so than Chrom. For Chrom, his pain had eased with Gangrel's death, if only slightly. But Robin would not have forgiven himself. His friend would have seen it as his failure for not doing enough to save her.

Picking up the box, Chrom opened it. The contents of the box confirmed his worst suspicion, and at the same time broke his heart. Over the years, he and many of the Shepherds had teased Robin about his love life, but it had never come to a head. He had always mentioned that he had someone he loved, but he could never be with her. And now it made perfect sense. When she was alive, Emmeryn had been the Exalt of Ylisse, beautiful and yet distant. And after her death, all they had had was her memory.

Chrom lifted the ring from the box, staring at it. If Robin had purchased this ring, then he had clearly had at least some intention of making his feelings known to his sister. As he twirled the ring in his fingers, he noticed a small slip of paper wedged underneath the groove where the ring sat.

He pried the paper loose and smiled when he saw the words written on it. The handwriting was not Robin's, but those four words were probably some of the best his friend had ever read.

_Yes, after the war._

Thinking of Robin, he realized that he had been right. This second gift had lifted his spirits in a way that nothing short of spending time with his daughters and wife had. Though Robin was gone, he had given Chrom a great gift indeed.

He would tell his wife in the morning, and then pay a visit to the stonemason. He had finally thought of a fitting inscription.

The moonlight drifted down on the paper Chrom still had between his fingers, and a tear fell down on to them. Robin had been a lucky man, to be so blessed, if even for a short time.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure, my lord?"<p>

"Quite. When will you be able to complete the memorial?"

The stonemason put the finishing touches on the plaque and then handed it to him. "Well, now that I've got your approval to keep working, I could probably have it done in a week's time."

"Very good, master stonemason," Chrom said, nodding. "That will allow us to unveil it at the spring festival."

He started looking at the plaque, but the way the stonemason was fidgeting caught his attention almost immediately. "Yes?"

"Is... is it true, my lord?"

"What's that?" Chrom asked, bemused.

"About Lord Robin and Her Grace."

Chrom smiled. "They would have been, save for the war in Plegia that cost her her life. But I know they're looking down at us, together. It's the least I can do for them."

He lifted the plaque and began to read aloud. "In memory of Lord Robin, Grandmaster of the Shepherds and Protector of the Realm. He loved his wife Emmeryn above all else."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<br>**

**This is my first real foray into writing within the Fire Emblem universe, but as I was playing Awakening, it struck me as a rather powerful idea and I attempted to do my best to capture it. Ultimately, this story ended up being a lot more about Chrom than I had originally planned. It makes sense from a certain standpoint, as a bachelor Robin wouldn't have his own family to leave anything to, and Chrom is one of the three people Robin has known the longest.  
><strong>

**I deliberately tried to leave mention of Chrom's family as vague as possible, but I couldn't resist throwing in one little tidbit that indicates who he may have married. (Or does it? Who says they stop having children after two? Or do they count the future kids? Heh.)  
><strong>

**Likewise, I know the inscription doesn't really make sense, particularly since the statue isn't described (it's not done), but it's a little reference to the Avatar's married ending in the game, so I decided to throw it in for fun.**

**In addition to this, I also had a couple of alternate endings written up, one of which feels a little unwieldy, and the other of which is a major downer (if you take it at face value) or a slight glimmer of hope (if you read into it). I may post those up once I can take them from being a few lines of scribbled notes into something worth reading.  
><strong>

_**As of December 7th, 2014, the second part of this has been removed in order to be completely reworked and republished as a separate work. Worthy was originally a one-shot and will remain as such.**_

**Until next time, Planet Earth, you keep on keepin' on.**

**-SSB  
><strong>


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